Profile

Steve Haberlin, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Curriculum and Instruction in the Department of Learning Sciences and Educational Research at the University of Central Florida, where he teaches doctoral-level courses in qualitative research methods and adult learning, advises Ed.D. students, and maintains an active research agenda at the intersection of meditation, mindfulness, and emerging technologies. He is the author of four books, including Meditation in the College Classroom (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023) and Meta-Meditation (Routledge, 2024), and has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals including Mindfulness, the Journal of American College Health, and Forum: Qualitative Social Research. His scholarship examines the integration of contemplative practices into higher education, the convergence of mindfulness with artificial intelligence, and qualitative research methodologies. He serves as editor of the Journal of Contemplative & Holistic Education, co-chairs the Holistic Education Special Interest Group at AERA, and has been supported by external funding from the National Science Foundation and the Trust for the Meditation Foundation. A practitioner with approximately 30 years of meditation experience, Dr. Haberlin bridges contemplative practice and educational innovation across his scholarly, teaching, and consulting work

• Mindfulness
• Meditation
• Yoga

2015–2019 Doctor of Philosophy
University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Major: Curriculum & Instruction
Concentration: Elementary Education
Dissertation: Supervision in Every Breath: Enacting Zen in an Elementary
Teacher Preparation Program

2013–2015 Master of Education
University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Major: Gifted Education

1998–2000 Bachelor of Arts
Rhode Island College, Providence, RI
Major: English

Dr. Haberlin's research sits at the intersection of contemplative practice, higher education, and emerging technologies, with a particular focus on how meditation and mindfulness can support student well-being, learning, and holistic development. Over the past decade, he has built a sustained program of scholarship examining how meditation is implemented in college classrooms, the barriers students face in adopting practice, and the outcomes associated with contemplative pedagogy across diverse populations including first-year students, doctoral students, and neurodivergent learners. A growing strand of his work investigates the convergence of mindfulness with artificial intelligence.

• Meditation and mindfulness in higher education
• Artificial intelligence and contemplative practice integration
• Qualitative research methodologies
• Contemplative pedagogy and student well-being
• Digital mindfulness-based interventions

Building Resilience and Engaging in Achievement through Collaborative, Holistic Programming in STEM Sponsor: National Science Foundation Award Period: August 2023 – August 2028 Total Award: $10,000 (subaward, University of Central Florida)

Breaking Down Barriers to Meditation: A College Student's Guide Sponsor: Trust for the Meditation Foundation Award Period: August 2024 – August 2025 Total Award: $5,000

Dr. Haberlin's service contributions span university, college, department, and professional levels. At the University of Central Florida, he has served on the College of Community Innovation and Education Instructor/Lecturer Promotion Committee, the Faculty Council, and the Curriculum and Instruction Ed.D. program committee, and has assisted with comprehensive exam revision, program applicant screening, and Faculty Center teaching workshops. At the professional level, he serves as co-program chair of the Holistic Education Special Interest Group for the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and as editor of the Journal of Contemplative & Holistic Education. He also reviews manuscripts for the Journal of American College Health, the International Journal of Yoga, and the Journal of Educational Supervision, and has reviewed conference proposals for the AERA Annual Meeting. He has also provided external consultation to Bowie State University and to the development of the Still Sky mobile meditation application. Across these roles, his service reflects a consistent commitment to advancing contemplative and holistic education, supporting doctoral student development, and contributing to the scholarly infrastructure of my field.

Service to the Profession

• Editor, Journal of Contemplative & Holistic Education (2025–present)
• Co-program chair, Holistic Education Special Interest Group, American Educational Research Association (2025–present)
• Manuscript reviewer, Journal of American College Health (2024–present)
• Manuscript reviewer, International Journal of Yoga (2025–present)
• Manuscript reviewer, Journal of Educational Supervision (2018–present)

Service to the University/College/Department

• College of Community Innovation & Education Instructor/Lecturer Promotion Committee (2024–present)
• Faculty Council, University of Central Florida (2025–present)
  Curriculum & Instruction Ed.D. program committee liaison (2024–present)
• Assisted with screening and interviewing Ed.D. program applicants (2024–present)
• Assisted with revising Milestone 1 comprehensive exam (Summer 2025)

• Vulcan Materials Company Teaching Excellence Award, Wesleyan College, 2021
• Governor's Teaching Fellows Program, University of Georgia, 2019
• Arthur Blumberg/Edward Pajak Scholarship, Council of Professors of Instructional Supervision, 2018
• Ida Baker Teacher of the Year, Sam Rampello Downtown Partnership School, 2015
• Ida Baker Teacher of the Year, Sam Rampello Downtown Partnership School, 2013
• Creativity Leadership Teaching Award, Gifted Association of Hillsborough County, 2013
• Journalist of the Year, Star-Banner (New York Times Company), 2003

• EDF 7457: Data, Assessment & Accountability Graduate, online — Fall 2023, Fall 2024, Fall 2025
• EDF 7494: Problems of Practice Graduate, online — Spring 2024, Spring 2025, Spring 2026
• IDS 6504: Adult Learning Graduate, online — Fall 2022, Spring 2024, Fall 2025, Spring 2026